6

Getting back into caravanning again after a few years of no van :)

Get everything set for a weekend trip on Friday.

I just checked my nose (tongue) weight with some bathroom scales and I'm happy with it. But I have been reading that the ground needs to be level.

Its on my driveway, a concrete drive, which when looking at it appears level, I can't say I can notice any incline at all. Is this sufficient to get an accurate enough reading of nose weight?

Basically - how level does level ground need to be?

Improve this question
1
  • Close enough is good enough. Here's a gross simplification i.imgur.com/3PQFK7Y.mp4 So if you're feeling anything weird while driving, stop and fix it immediately.
    – Criggie
    Commented Oct 5, 2016 at 7:56

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

If you want to eliminate the angle of ground that visually looks flat, measure the weight then turn the whole lot around and measure the weight again. The mean average fo these two readings should give you a fairly accurate idea of the true, level nose weight.

Improve this answer
4
  • Would you clarify please if you mean a 180 degree turn or a 90 degree turn.
    – Criggie
    Commented Sep 29, 2016 at 8:38
  • 1
    I'd assume he means 180 - so that, for example, if there is a 1:100 downward slope to start with, it'd be offset by a 1:100 upward slope the second time
    – Nick C ♦
    Commented Sep 29, 2016 at 8:57
  • Yes, a full 180 degree turn so that the van is facing the complete opposite direction, thus negating the action of any downward or upward slope.
    – Steve Matthews
    Commented Sep 29, 2016 at 9:00
  • 1
    I like those self-correcting solutions, very elegant
    – Martin
    Commented Sep 29, 2016 at 12:41
3

That's close enough! Especially if you're not pushing the limits.

Tongue weight influences the stability of the rig (too much and the front wheels may tend to lift, too little – especially with a heavy load – and the "tail starts to wag the dog") and the load on the towing vehicle's suspension. You've got some latitude there, probably more than the difference that a hard to see slope in your driveway would amount to.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .